The invention relates to printing. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and a family of methods for printing ordered stock such as precut tabs.
Future electronic printer and printing systems are intended to provide the user with as many job programming options and selections as possible. One programming option recently developed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,048 to Parsons et al discloses a high speed electronic printing system for processing ordered stock such as tabbed sheets. The system described ensures when using precut tabs the image being printed matches up with the correct tab and that it remains so during that entire printing process.
However, what Parsons fails to account for is that tab printing jobs have repeated use. That is, a format used for printing tabs is often used repeatedly. According to Parsons, a user must re-enter such format values when performing a tab printing job. What is needed is a method to perform the same tab printing jobs repeatedly without having to re-enter the format values.
A user also desires to have many printing options when printing tabs. Such options include setting the number of positions, the text offset per tab, the tab media size, text rotation, document reading order, tray source, the tab font size, the tab font type, tab sheet location and tab text and text color. What is needed is a method to perform these options.
A method and apparatus is disclosed which configures a printer for printing ordered stock by using a template. The template has various parameters which the user inputs. Such examples of input parameters involve the printing of tabs. A user inputs tab parameters such as the number of positions, text offset per tab, tab media size, text rotation, document reading order, tray source, tab font size, tab font type, tab sheet location and tab text. Templates can be saved and repeatedly used. A user can save and create new templates or edit previously created templates.